Upside Down
by Malana
Summary: Chloe has to deal with who Lindsey really is. Crossover between Smallville and Angel.


Title: Upside Down 

Series: BNL Song Title Series 

Author: Malana 

Rating: PG-13 

Pairing: Chloe/Lindsey 

Disclaimer: I own neither Smallville nor Angel. 

A/N: Another angsty Chloe piece. I don't know why, but when I write her in one-shot fics, they tend to be sad ones. Also, this was written to break through my writer's block, so the quality is a little lacking. 

Note 2: I'm juggling the two time lines. Smallville is several years in the future, but Angel is mid second season, sometime before Lindsey took off. 

Note 3: I started working on a different version of this story, but realized that version could never be told in one part. It involved the A.I. team and some Chloe/Angel stuff. If there is any interest I might eventually write that longer version. 

I met Lindsey McDonald when I was two years out of college. I got a job writing for a paper in L.A. Sure, it wasn't the Daily Planet, but it was a start. I was doing an interview at the law firm Wolfram and Hart. I was in the lobby waiting for my subject, Lilah Morgan, the Co-Vice President of Special Projects. I never go into an interview without doing plenty of background research, but I had trouble figuring out what exactly the 'Special Projects' department did. 

Miss Morgan was late, and I was getting a little impatient. Then I saw a handsome man in an expensive suit stepping off an elevator. I immediately recognized him for my earlier research. I stood up, grabbing my bag, and approached him. 

"Excuse me, Mr. McDonald?" 

"Can I help you?" He asked with a smile. 

"I'm Chloe Sullivan," I said, sticking out my hand. "I'm here to interview Lilah Morgan. I understand that your her Co-Vice President." 

"Of course. She mentioned that you were coming. Unfortunately, she's not in today. There was an emergency with one of the clients." 

I sighed, running my hand through my hair. This was just what I needed. My deadline of for story was tomorrow, and I needed this interview. 

Lindsey gave me a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry. Someone should have called you about this. Was the story about Lilah herself or Wolfram and Hart. If you just need an interview with someone from the firm, I'd be glad to help you out. Lilah and I hold the same position here." 

"Are you sure it wouldn't be a problem?" 

Lindsey shook his head. "No problem at all. I was just on my way to lunch. Why don't you join me? We could do the interview at the restaurant." He flashed me another smile, and despite my better judgment I couldn't help but find him attractive. 

------------ 

I did stay professional doing the interview, I give myself that much credit. He was flirting with me, I could tell, but I ignored it, even though I really wanted to flirt back. So I was happy when a few days later I can home to find a message from him on the answering machine. 

We started dating regularly, and things were going great. My feelings for him went beyond anything I had ever felt before. I had been in love with Clark, but what I had with Lindsey went beyond that. He was perfect: smart, charming, funny, and just a great guy. 

At least, that's what I thought. 

About six months into our relationship, I found a note slipped under my door. It was in a handwriting I didn't recognize and contained only a few words. "He's not the man you think. Look at Wolfram & Hart. Be careful." I think most people would have thrown it away. Or they would have shown it to Lindsey. But as much as I loved Lindsey, I still had my reporter instincts. As usual, my curiosity got the better of me. 

So, I started researching. I was horrified by what I found. I had faced some weird stuff in Smallville, but it was nothing to what I discovered when I started delving into Wolfram. Demons. Vampires. It was unbelievable. But what got me even more was that the law firm wasn't fighting this evil; it was a part of it. Lindsey was a part of it. The man I loved was involved in some of the most terrible things I'd ever heard of. 

I should have ran. I should have just broken up with Lindsey, and walked away. But I didn't. I felt the need to confront him about it. It was stupid. From what I had learned about Wolfram and Hart, they wouldn't take well to a reporter knowing exactly what they did. But I had to tell Lindsey. I had to hear from his own mouth his excuse for all of this. I thought that maybe I could get him to leave. I hoped against hope that he didn't really know what was going on. I thought that there was a chance that we could still be happy together. 

I should have known better. He knew exactly what the firm did. He was surprised that I had found out, but he offered no apologies. He told me that it was his job, and he had no intention of walking away. I told him that I was walking away from him. I couldn't be with someone who did what he did. It was one of the only times I had ever compared him to Clark and found Lindsey wanting. 

I screamed, and I yelled. Lindsey just stood there. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't reconcile the man who stood before me with the man I fell in love with. He said he was sorry I was upset, but that I didn't have any reason to be so angry. He told me that I was being childish, that I had to live in the real world. He said that if I loved him we could work through it. He said that he was just doing he's job, and that evil was relative. 

Tears in my eyes, I kissed him one last time. Then I walked away. I've seen a lot of darkness in my time. And I do believe that the world isn't just black and white. I also know that I can't be with someone who so willing embraces the darkness. I've loved two men in my life. Clark and Lindsey. I had really believed that in Lindsey I had found the man of my dreams. In some ways, maybe Clark was just a crush and what I with Lindsey those first few months was really love. But while Clark would risk everything he had to fight the good fight, Lindsey would sell his soul if the price were right. In fact, I'm pretty sure he already did.


End file.
